After an article in Euractiv claimed that the German government had approved fracking, the Guardian made a few phone calls, including to a French campaigner. Craig Morris says that German media have remained silent on the matter for good reason – the news item is a canard. The story begins over at Euractiv. A good German article entitled (my translation) “Fracking in Germany: critics warn of watered-down bill” got an astonishing title in English: “German government approves fracking.” You could be excused of thinking there is a mistranslation here, and the confusion continues when Euractiv calls the bill a “draft law” (which, both in the United States and the Commonwealth, would mean conscription legislation). The English Euractiv article further explains that this “draft law (sic) permitting fracking in the country” has been “tabled.” Here, we must keep in mind that, by “tabled,” the British mean “put on the table for discussion,” whereas Americans understand the opposite: postponed. The US meaning is not applicable here, but even with the British meaning, the body of article lies … Continue reading German government did not just approve fracking